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I've heard this is a really misleading product and online it got terrible reviews. Have you used it? I'd be interested to hear if it was actually as advertised but I've only seen negative things online and had one friend that said it was a total waste.
I have friends who have a Roku and love it, they are avid Netflix/hulu plus (non-cable) users and they swear by it. I see Google has Chromecast now for less but I don't know anyone that has tried it.
I do the shrink wrap plastic on our windows too. I've always done it on the outside, but last winter I had a huge stock pile of the insulation kits (I buy them on clearance in the summer for 1/4 the cost) so I did both the inside and out :
: I have large windows in the DC area and when I did the inside first I could see the plastic moving from wind even though the window was closed 
So I definitely have a leakage issue, that's why I did both! ::
We have an old heater (1970s) and our bills can get outrageous in the winter (I refuse to use the a/c) so we called out electric company and went on a program called equal pay, so we pay the same about year round regardless of our usage. So in the winter when our bill should be say $150 we're only paying our $100 year round fee but they add the extra $50 to our running balance and in the summer when we pay $100 and out bill is actually less it pays off the overages from the winter. Some years we get a refund for overpayment at the end of the payment cycle.
We also turn the heat off at night (DD has a space heater in her room for cold nights that has a thermostat and is energy efficient, DH and I have blankets
)
Changing the filter in your heater can help with efficiently too
Wash all you laundry at the same time (IE do all the loads one right after the other) because your dryer will already be warmed up and it doesn't spend extra energy to warm it up each time.
BBQ more! I totally use the BBQ as an oven/stove in the summer! ::
I'd still shop around insurance (auto/home) policies, I did this recently and we saved $65/mo when 5 months ago it would have cost us more to switch for some reason
We dropped our internet/phone bundle awhile back because we shopped internet prices and found that it was cheaper to upgrade DH to a smartphone (I had one he didnt) and just have internet than it was to have the the landline bundle. We also changed our smartphone bill so that we had unlimited text/talk but the lowest data (1g I believe) because we mainly use it at home so we just set out smartphones to automatically connect to wifi (our home or hotspots) so we use our internet service primarily and only the phone network when out and about.
I'm a diet coke addict too, or I was anyway but we started buying the off brand to save money. I didn't like it that much so it ended up breaking my pop habit because I didn't like the Safeway brand ::
I have friends who have a Roku and love it, they are avid Netflix/hulu plus (non-cable) users and they swear by it. I see Google has Chromecast now for less but I don't know anyone that has tried it.
Thank you for all the ideas so far. 
I cut cable out 2 years ago.
I will definitely call the electric company and see if they offer any kits because I still use regular light bulbs.
I try not to use the dryer at all but both dds have used it this summer plus we've had the A/C on from time to time. Just paid my electric bill and it was 38 bucks more this month than last.
My 20 dd will be leaving for college in 2 weeks so I'll cut right down to bare minimum then, no extra lights, no dryer, no extra fans, A/C, etc. And the heat is always down a bit during the colder months. I do have to do some more insulating though.
Clara, you said to insulate with the shrink wrap on the outside of the windows instead of inside? Does it stay on even through all kinds of nasty weather? Unfortunately my whole playroom is filled with windows and a lot of air is lost through them because they are old windows.
I was dancing around with the idea of getting rid of my landline but I get a bundle deal with my internet. I think I'd rather cut out my cellphone but that's a complicated issue as it's a family line with 4 phones on it. Everyone else has those smartphones and I still have my original flip phone. I pay the $250 monthly bill for that and my dh pays the $300 a month mortgage.
I'm planning on cutting grocery spending A LOT when dd leaves and I only have 3 dcks instead of 12. I'll need to get strict with myself and cut out diet coke; that's been my one indulgence.
As for insurance, I have everything insured through one agency(it was tricky finding dc insurance at the time) so I do get the multi item discount. Down to one car which is paid(thank God for that!)
I'm also trying to buy ahead, nonperishables that are on sale; just to get me through until I start getting calls again.
Lots of good ideas so far! PLEASE keep them coming!! I'm sure I'm not the only one who could use them!
I cut cable out 2 years ago.I will definitely call the electric company and see if they offer any kits because I still use regular light bulbs.
I try not to use the dryer at all but both dds have used it this summer plus we've had the A/C on from time to time. Just paid my electric bill and it was 38 bucks more this month than last.
My 20 dd will be leaving for college in 2 weeks so I'll cut right down to bare minimum then, no extra lights, no dryer, no extra fans, A/C, etc. And the heat is always down a bit during the colder months. I do have to do some more insulating though. Clara, you said to insulate with the shrink wrap on the outside of the windows instead of inside? Does it stay on even through all kinds of nasty weather? Unfortunately my whole playroom is filled with windows and a lot of air is lost through them because they are old windows.
I was dancing around with the idea of getting rid of my landline but I get a bundle deal with my internet. I think I'd rather cut out my cellphone but that's a complicated issue as it's a family line with 4 phones on it. Everyone else has those smartphones and I still have my original flip phone. I pay the $250 monthly bill for that and my dh pays the $300 a month mortgage.
I'm planning on cutting grocery spending A LOT when dd leaves and I only have 3 dcks instead of 12. I'll need to get strict with myself and cut out diet coke; that's been my one indulgence.
As for insurance, I have everything insured through one agency(it was tricky finding dc insurance at the time) so I do get the multi item discount. Down to one car which is paid(thank God for that!)
I'm also trying to buy ahead, nonperishables that are on sale; just to get me through until I start getting calls again.
Lots of good ideas so far! PLEASE keep them coming!! I'm sure I'm not the only one who could use them!
: I have large windows in the DC area and when I did the inside first I could see the plastic moving from wind even though the window was closed So I definitely have a leakage issue, that's why I did both! ::We have an old heater (1970s) and our bills can get outrageous in the winter (I refuse to use the a/c) so we called out electric company and went on a program called equal pay, so we pay the same about year round regardless of our usage. So in the winter when our bill should be say $150 we're only paying our $100 year round fee but they add the extra $50 to our running balance and in the summer when we pay $100 and out bill is actually less it pays off the overages from the winter. Some years we get a refund for overpayment at the end of the payment cycle.
We also turn the heat off at night (DD has a space heater in her room for cold nights that has a thermostat and is energy efficient, DH and I have blankets
)Changing the filter in your heater can help with efficiently too
Wash all you laundry at the same time (IE do all the loads one right after the other) because your dryer will already be warmed up and it doesn't spend extra energy to warm it up each time.
BBQ more! I totally use the BBQ as an oven/stove in the summer! :
:I'd still shop around insurance (auto/home) policies, I did this recently and we saved $65/mo when 5 months ago it would have cost us more to switch for some reason
We dropped our internet/phone bundle awhile back because we shopped internet prices and found that it was cheaper to upgrade DH to a smartphone (I had one he didnt) and just have internet than it was to have the the landline bundle. We also changed our smartphone bill so that we had unlimited text/talk but the lowest data (1g I believe) because we mainly use it at home so we just set out smartphones to automatically connect to wifi (our home or hotspots) so we use our internet service primarily and only the phone network when out and about.
I'm a diet coke addict too, or I was anyway but we started buying the off brand to save money. I didn't like it that much so it ended up breaking my pop habit because I didn't like the Safeway brand :
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